JPH07503688A - A lightweight plastic bottle without a handle that has a substantially rigid grip to facilitate pouring. - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Has a substantially rigid grip that allows for easy pouring. Lightweight plastic bottle without handle field of invention The present invention relates to lightweight plastic bottles for storing and dispensing liquid products. Ru. As used herein, "plastic lightweight bottles" The term is the weight of the bottle measured in grams, the fluid inside the bottle measured in fluid ounces. It relates to bottles in which the ratio of storage chamber to volume is 1 or less.

Background of the invention Liquid products such as cooking oil are sold packaged in plastic bottles. Often. Today, in order to conserve natural resources, these bottles are made using It is desirable to reduce the amount of plastic used. In addition, solid landfill waste capacity It is desirable to create a bottle that can be easily crushed to reduce volume. But long By significantly reducing the amount of plastic used to make bottles, Typically, bottles become so flexible that they become bag-like, making them difficult to use. It is inconvenient to use and results in loss of pouring control.

When a product such as cooking oil is contained in a plastic bottle, consumers Usually, hold the bottle between your thumb and index finger around the center of the bottle, and then Tilt along its vertical axis to dispense discrete quantities of product. bottle flexibility If the bottle is too large and the product is relatively full, the bottle may collapse when the consumer squeezes it. deforms, which reduces the internal volume of the bottle, and the more the product consists of the bottle, the smaller the bottle becomes. spills, resulting in uncontrolled subdivisions and often spills. and Messjness. For this reason, products such as cooking oil It is impractical to use very thin plastic bottles for products. child To avoid problems such as choose. Unfortunately, conventional Bottle making techniques are the materials used to make plastic bottles. This contradicts the idea of trying to reduce quantity. Most commercially available for liquid products like edible oils Fluid-on in the internal liquid-containing chamber of most commonly used plastic bottles The weight/volume ratio, measured in grams of plastic to plastic, is typically 1 °3 or more. Bottles with a weight/volume ratio equal to or less than 1 to make lightweight plastic bottles for such products as defined above. was desired.

One method traditionally used to strengthen plastic flexible bottles is to An outer shell made of paper or other material is placed around a flexible plastic bottle; This was a way to strengthen these bottles. Such containers are generally It is called bag-in-bottle. An example of a bag-in-bottle is September 2, 1987. U.S. Patent No. 4,696, commonly assigned to Skidmoore et al. , No. 840. In a similar way, the user generally grabs the plus Made of paperboard or other substantially rigid material around the center of a flexible bottle made of You can simply place a band. An example of such a device is the June 1, 1951 Canadian Patent No. 474,542, issued to Gashard on the 9th Wear. However, such packages require additional manufacturing, such as assembly work. manufacturing steps, which slows production and increases costs . Furthermore, such packaging is itself an environmental problem. two different materials Bottles made of plastic must be separated from these materials before they can be recycled. like this It is impractical and/or inconvenient for the consumer to perform the separation.

Traditionally used to solve the dispensing problems associated with plastic flexible bottles, Another method used was to mold the handle section integrally with the bottle itself. Ru.

However, this solution also had some problems.

For example, a bottle with a handle can be used to transport and store the bottle before use by the user. Inefficient in terms of the amount of space required. Additionally, more materials are usually required. be done.

This actually increases the material used instead of decreasing it, so increase consumption of natural resources. Additionally, bottles with handles are often blow molded. It can only be produced using equipment. This is typically the Limit the types of plastic. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a liquid It is the preferred plastic material for making bottles. It is strong and durable This is not only because it is available, but also because it is relatively cheap. PET hanger To stretch blow mold bottles with dollars, the bottle forming process and the handle are usually The molding process requires two separate molding steps. This makes the bottle more expensive to manufacture. Make the time longer.

Plastic bottles without handles used for medical sterile fluids No. 3,537,49, issued to Amand on November 3, 1970. It is stated in No. 8. Amand's patent includes a depression called pinch-in-waist. A rectangular bottle for medical sterile liquids is disclosed having a soldered wall section between the top and bottom ends. There is. The thick vinci-in waist shown in Amand's patent curves inward. to form a recessed channel that completely surrounds the bottle. This channel immediately The pin nine waist section reportedly has a concave shape and pin Due to its greater thickness in the chain area, it is more rigid than the body of the bottle itself. deer However, the bottle disclosed in Amand's patent was designed to hang the bottle upside down to create a vein. Suggested for dispensing liquids, the bottle is placed along its vertical axis. There is no suggestion as to portioning and pouring by tilting. a The enhanced technology disclosed in Mando's patents is particularly effective for handling sterile medical fluids. This is sufficient if the contents of the bottle are not aliquoted by pouring, but Merely increasing the thickness of the cooking oil, which is typically encountered in a kitchen environment, is insufficient. Do not give the bottle enough rigidity to allow liquids such as I know it's bad. To obtain a sufficient degree of stiffness, it is usually necessary to defeating the purpose of using a small amount of plastic to make the rest of the The gripping area needs to be thicker, i.e. when weighing the entire bottle, the plastic It saves very little money.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the problems associated with the prior art bottles mentioned above. Made of plastic without a handle, with a unique virtually rigid gripping area Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible bottle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle that is lightweight and therefore requires less material to manufacture. It is to provide.

Yet another object of the present invention is that it is easily collapsible and therefore solid landfill waste. By providing plastic bottles with non-rigid parts that reduce volume. Ru.

Other objects of the invention include ease of opening, freshness protection, one-hand grip pourability, and reliability. Made of plastic that retains the basic functional characteristics of a rigid bottle, including reclosability It is to provide a bottle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a substantially rigid grip area that is easily graspable with one hand. area so that the user can hold a separate small amount of liquid by collapsing the gripping area. To provide a lightweight plastic bottle that can be easily and subdivided without losing control. It is.

Another object of the invention is that when the user squeezes the gripping area, it is directed towards the interior of the bottle. The movement of the bottle is considerably reduced and the opposite parts of the gripping area are lateral to each other. The aim is to provide a lightweight plastic bottle with significantly less directional movement. .

The above objects and other objects of the invention will become clearer below.

Summary of the invention According to the invention, the liquid product is prepared by tilting and pouring along the vertical axis. Flexible and without handle for dispensing without losing control A lightweight plastic bottle is provided. This bottle has a closed bottom end, Closed top with orifice for dispensing body products, and top and bottom and a body portion connecting the ends to each other. These are for containing liquid products Collectively constitute the internal chambers. The bottle has a top end and a bottom end of the flexible body portion. and a substantially rigid gripping region disposed therebetween. This gripping area When viewed through the side wall of the bottle parallel to the vertical axis, it has an rCJ-shaped cross section; The "C" shaped legs extend outwardly away from the interior chamber. grasping The region has an oval cross section measured perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle. grip area The oval cross-section of the area has a long axis aligned parallel to the longest dimension of the cross-section of the gripping area, and It has a short axis aligned parallel to the shortest dimension of the cross-section of the gripping region. substantially rigid The gripping area is further recessed with respect to the body portion towards the internal chamber of the bottle. It has two opposed beams oriented substantially parallel to the long axis. These bits The arms are preferably joined together by a pair of opposed arcuate sections. these The arcs connect the beams in a closed circuit, preferably with respect to the body part. Concave towards the internal chamber of the bottle, but the degree of concave is smaller than the beam stomach. Each of the arcs has a bead to strengthen the arc and add stiffness to the gripping area. along its perimeter from a point adjacent to one side of the beam to a point adjacent to the beam on the opposite side. and substantially continuous three-dimensional reinforcement means. This is provided in each arc part. The reinforcement means allow the user to connect the facing beam to the thumb and this leg and the opposite forefinger. When gripped with one hand between the fingers, the beam will move along the short axis toward the internal chamber. and/or the beams move laterally relative to each other along their long axes. Due to the resistance to deformation of the gripping area, the user is able to You can comfortably hold the bottle with one hand and dispense liquids accurately.

In one embodiment of the invention, the three-dimensional reinforcement means include beams along each of the circumferences of the arcuate section. A line extending from a point adjacent to one of the beams to a point adjacent to the opposite beam. Consists of bu.

In another embodiment of the invention, the three-dimensional reinforcement means are arranged in one of the beams along each arc. A closely spaced beam extending from one side and an adjacent point to an adjacent point. It consists of a series of discrete shaped protrusions spaced apart.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the series of shaped protrusions comprises diamond-shaped protrusions. Consists of two or more columns.

Brief description of the drawing The specification concludes with the claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention. However, the invention will be further understood by reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be well understood.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the bottle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the bottle of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the grip area 150 of the bottle 110 expanded from points 164 to 165. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a modified example of the bottle of the present invention.

Example With reference to the accompanying drawings, the same elements have the same reference numbers throughout all the drawings. Ru. FIG. 1 shows a bottle 1 for dispensing liquid products. bottle 1 has a closed bottom end 2 and an orifice 4 for dispensing the liquid product. It has a sharp apex 3. The bottle has a flexible body connecting a top end 3 and a bottom end 2 to each other. It has a portion 10. The top end 3, bottom end 2 and flexible body portion 10 contain a liquid product. collectively constitute an internal chamber 5 (see FIG. 2) for accommodating the components. The bottle is real A qualitatively rigid gripping region 50 is further provided on the flexible body portion 10 between the top end 3 and the bottom end 2. Exists. The liquid in the bottle is poured by tilting the bottle 1 along its vertical axis 7. It is subdivided by taking it out.

Furthermore, the body portion 10 has a number of decorative recesses 12 and 13. in these recesses Although somewhat more rigid, the primary purpose of these recesses is to provide decoration. be.

Furthermore, the body portion 10 has inwardly recessed ribs 11 below the gripping area 50. child These ribs add some rigidity to the bottle. However, the main body part is actually remains flexible and does not deform during handling even when ribs 11 are provided. Wear.

The top end 3 of the bottle 1 seals the orifice 4 so that the product does not pass through the orifice when not in use. It has a neck 8 adapted to receive a leaktight cap therethrough.

The neck 8 is provided with an external thread 6 for receiving a cap with an internal thread. There is. The neck 8 further has a raised edge 5 extending around the circumference of the neck 8. This push Edge 5 helps further seal the interface between the cap and the neck. neck 8 is preferably substantially rigid so as to accept a substantially flexible cap. Yes. This ensures that the orifice 4 is properly sealed. Furthermore, the bottle is secured to the bottle 1 so that it remains in an upright position when not in use, as shown in Figure 1. The bottom end 2 is preferably rigid so as to provide stability.

The bottle 1 of the present invention is typically made of expanded polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is made by stretch blow molding. Generally shaped by stretch blow molding The main body portion 10 of the bottle 1 thus formed is thicker toward the top end 3, and the bottom end becomes thicker toward the top end 3. It's getting thinner towards 2. For this reason, the grip area 50 of the main body portion 10 The stiffness of the upper top section 14 is greater than the stiffness of the bottom section 1 below the gripping area 50 of the body portion 10. Somewhat higher than 5. Furthermore, a recessed section, such as the gripping area 50, also It is thicker than the immediately adjacent unrecessed section. plastic bottle molding technology As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this thickness distribution is dependent on the stretch blow molding process. Caused by inherent properties.

Other methods such as extrusion blow molding and injection molding are also suitable for manufacturing the bottles of the invention. ing. The thickness distribution across the bottles obtained with these alternative manufacturing methods is The shape of the bottle is somewhat different from the one produced in the bottle. Nevertheless, the purpose of the invention is to This is achieved primarily by the specific process used to make the bottle; This is believed to be achieved as a result of certain geometric changes discussed below. .

A unique feature of the bottle 1 is the gripping area 50, which is shown in FIGS. It can be best explained by referring to the figures. Figure 2 is the same as Figure 1. FIG. 2 is a plan cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2. The side wall of the bottle in the gripping area 50 When viewed parallel to the vertical axis 7, it has an rCJ shape. The “C” shaped legs are The legs extend outwardly from an internal chamber 5 connected to the body portion 10.

The gripping area 50 is substantially rigid so that the user cannot significantly change the gripping area. Easily grip bottles along the gripping area without shaping, allowing small amounts of liquid to be separated It can be subdivided into

The gripping area 50 has an oblong shape when measured perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle. has a cross section of The gripping region 50 is aligned parallel to the longer dimension of the gripping region cross section. Long axis 60. and a short axis 61 aligned parallel to the short dimension of the cross-section of the gripping region. have The gripping area 50 consists of two beams 51 and 51 that are parallel and facing each other. and 52. Consumers use the thumb and human hand of one hand to dispense liquid from a bottle. These beams can be grasped between the index fingers. Beams 51 and 52 are the main body part 10 and is recessed towards the internal chamber 5. Beams 51 and 52 are two They are connected to each other to form a closed circuit by two facing arcuate portions 53 and 54. Ru. The arcuate portions 53 and 54 also extend toward the interior 5 of the bottle 1 relative to the body portion 10. However, the extent of the depression is smaller than that of the beams 51 and 52. Arc part 53 and and 54 do not necessarily have to be entirely curved; a substantially straight shape up to beam 51 and from points 63 and 65 to beam 52; It is also possible to have a state of mind.

Each of the arcs has a range from a point adjacent to one beam to a point adjacent to another beam. Along its periphery, three-dimensional reinforcement means are provided. Figures 1 and 2 In one embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. Continuous along each of the arc parts 53 and 54 from the point to the point adjacent to other beams. It is made up of ribs 55 and 56 that extend in a straight line. The rib 55 is located adjacent to the beam 51. Continuously along the circumference of the arc portion 53 from 62 to a point 63 adjacent to the beam 52 It is extending. Similarly, the rib 56 extends from the point 64 adjacent to the beam 51 to the beam 5. It extends continuously along the periphery of the circular arc portion 54 to a point 65 adjacent to the portion 2 . rib 55 and 56 do not necessarily have to protrude outward as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. There is no need for an inwardly directed rib 11 of the body portion 10, i.e. It may also be a concave rib.

In carrying out the present invention, three-dimensional reinforcing means may be provided along the arcuate portions 53 and 54. , it has been found that the stiffness of the gripping region 50 is considerably increased. The user shall Ostensibly, place your thumb on one side of the beam 51, 52, facing the thumb like your index finger. Grasp the bottle in one hand by placing the matching fingers on the other beam. Beam 51. 52, arcuate portion 53.54, and three-dimensional reinforcement means 55.56 are used. The person applies enough force between his thumb and fingers to lift the bottle and pour out the bottle. When applied, the inner chambers of beams 51 and 52 along a line parallel to minor axis 61 In addition to reducing the movement towards the beams 51 and 52, the It can be seen that this reduces the displacement laterally relative to each other along the straight lines. ing. As a result, the user's operation of lifting the bottle and pouring from it is actually The qualitatively rigid gripping area 50 is not significantly deformed. This allows you to use The operator has full control over the pouring process, similar to a virtually rigid bottle. Ru. Adding the three-dimensional reinforcement means that the user can connect the beams 51 and 52 with the thumb of one hand. Divide liquid by pouring it out of the bottle by squeezing it comfortably between your index finger and It doesn't get in the way.

Another embodiment of the three-dimensional reinforcement means of the present invention is that from a predetermined location adjacent to one beam, Closely spaced beams extending around the circumference of each arc to a predetermined point adjacent to other beams. It consists of providing a series of spaced apart shaping projections. An example of this implementation is a bottle This can be seen in FIG. The bottle 101 has circular arc portions 153 and 1 Beams 151 and 152 are connected to each other in a closed circuit by 54 (Fig. (not shown).

The arcs 153 and 154 form a series of closely spaced discrete diamond-shaped projections 1 It has three-dimensional reinforcement means consisting of 70 pieces. The diamond-shaped protrusion 170 is adjacent to the beam 151. Point 16 adjacent to beam 152 (not shown) from contact points 162 and 164 3 and 165 around the arcuate portions 153 and 154.

Figure 5 shows a series of closely spaced inwardly directed steric reinforcement means. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, comprising a shaped protrusion. FIG. 5 shows the arc portion 253 and The bottle 201 is shown with a bottle 254 and a bottle 254. The three-dimensional shape of these arc parts 253 and 254 The reinforcing means consists of vertically extending recessed ribs 270. These ribs 27 0 are closely spaced from each other and extend from the top 290 to the bottom of the arc portion 253. 291 , and extends from the top 292 to the bottom 293 of the arc portion 254 .

The steric reinforcement means of the invention are continuous and discontinuous in a preferred embodiment of the invention. It has a non-continuous feature.

The ribs 55 and 56 of the bottle 1 shown in FIG. 1 are an example of continuous three-dimensional reinforcement means. be. That is, these ribs extend from point 62 to point 63 and from point 64 to point 63. Continuous, ie, uninterrupted, up to 65. Ribs 55 and 56 are continuous Therefore, the arcuate portions 53 and 54 are provided with reinforcing means to concentrate stress along their peripheries. There is virtually no middle part. This causes beams 51 and 52 to move inward towards each other. The arcuate portions 53 and 54 may collapse or buckle at locations along their peripheries. This is when the bottle is squeezed to prevent it from burning. These areas are stress concentration points or It is better to call it the collapse point. Provide continuous and uninterrupted three-dimensional reinforcement. It is thought that this reduces the chance of stress concentration points forming along the arc. It is. Avoiding the formation of such stress concentration points in the arc will cause the bottle to When focused, the beams 51 and 52 are aligned substantially along a line parallel to the minor axis 61. It is believed that it is not possible to move towards the chamber 5. This movement is shown in Figure 5. Discontinuities such as the vertically extending recessed ribs 270 of the bottle 201 shown. And it is reduced to a greater extent than by intermittent steric reinforcement means.

The diamond-shaped protrusion 170 of the bottle 101 also has a continuous or uninterrupted shape. Eliminates the above-mentioned stress concentration points along the arcs 153 and 154 when placed in the body It is thought to help. This configuration provides gripping area 150 of bottle 101. The most detailed explanation can be obtained by referring to FIG. I can explain it well. The arc portion 153 has five rows 171.1 of diamond-shaped protrusions. 72, 173, 174, and 175 as the top 190 and bottom 191 of the arc portion 153. have between. Any two combinations of one odd numbered column and one even numbered column By taking out the rows or pairs of rows, we can see how the rows of protrusions are It can be seen how stress concentration points are prevented from being formed along the arc portion 153. .

For example, from point 162 adjacent to beam 151 to point 1 adjacent to beam 152, Take out columns 172 and 173 extending to 63. The configuration of columns 172 and 173 is The circular arc portion 153 is located at any point from 162 to 163 at the top 1 of the circular arc portion 153. 90 and has at least one protrusion extending from the bottom 191. be. This is continuous and uninterrupted from point 162 to point 163. Provides a three-dimensional reinforcement means that substantially prevents the formation of stress concentration points.

Rows 172 and 173 together essentially create a rib 180, which rib It functions similarly to the continuous horizontally extending ribs 55 and 56 of the tor 1.

The diamond-shaped protrusion 170 of the bottle 101 is selected for its decorative design. although other separate shaping protrusions may be used to achieve substantially the same result. . Furthermore, the protrusion does not necessarily protrude outward as shown in the embodiment of FIG. It may also take the form of a recess that protrudes inward.

The gripping region 50 of the present invention can be obtained by providing the desired It is believed that this provides great rigidity. However, the grip area 50 The rigidity is also increased by making the wall slightly thicker than the flexible main body portion 10. It is believed that it is possible. Depending on the specific manufacturing method, this is unique be. For example, if the bottle is formed by stretch blow molding, the grip area 50 It is slightly thicker than the main body portion 10 below the holding area 50. However, the present invention It is believed that the purpose of . The increased thickness inherent in the selected manufacturing process typically providing a substantially rigid gripping area on a lightweight plastic bottle of the type disclosed herein; Insufficient to form. The grip area can be defined by the geometric parameters specified herein. Thick enough to give the desired large stiffness in the gripping area without compromising the data The amount of plastic required is usually so large that it is no longer possible to I can't imagine it being lightweight. In this regard, the weight of the bottle, measured in grams, is The ratio of the volume of the inner chamber of the bottle, measured in ounces of fluid, to 5 is equal to 1 or Or less. In particularly preferred embodiments, this ratio is between about 0.6 and 1. .

In order to grip and pour with one hand and at the same time maintain the desired stiffness, Preferred dimensions for the features have been developed. Referring to FIG. 2, the arc portion 53 The diameter 66 and the diameter 67 of the arc portion 54 can be seen. Diameters 66 and 67 are aligned with major axis 60. This is the largest diameter of the circular arc portions 53 and 54 measured in parallel. Hold it with one hand and Diameters 66 and 67 must be approximately 5.08 crA (2. (3.81 ca) or less, most preferably approximately 3.81 ca (1.5 in.) or less. ) to about 2 inches. This range covers humans of various sizes. Fits your hand. To eliminate orientation, the bottle is preferably symmetrical and therefore , diameters 66 and 67 are most preferably equal to each other.

In order to make it easier for the user's thumb to rest on one of the beams 51, 52, the arc The distance from the leading edge 68 of the portion 53 to the leading edge 69 of the arc portion 54 (see Figure 2) is approximately 6°35cl! (2.5 inches) to approximately 12.7 cm (5 inches). and most preferably from about 6.985 cm (2°75 inches) to about 8.255 cm. g+ (3.25 inches). Furthermore, the dimensions of the beams 51.52 are wide. These beams must be sized to fit the user's thumb for the average person. Must be. In this regard, the length of the beam measured parallel to the long axis 60 is approximately 2.5 4 cm (1 inch) to about 5.08 cm (2 inches), most preferably Preferably, from about 4.293 cm (C1, 3 inches) to about 4.318 cm (1, 3 inches) Twift). Furthermore, the length of the beam measured parallel to the vertical axis 7 of the bottle The length is approximately 2.032 cm (0.8 inch) to approximately 3.048 cm (1.2 inch) and most preferably about 0.9 inches to about 2.286 cm (0.9 inches). It is approximately 2.794 cv (1.1 inch). These dimensional ranges cover a wide range of human Fits the size of your thumb.

The distance between beams 51 and 52 measured parallel to the minor axis 61 is Limited by manufacturing technology.

Generally, the shorter this distance, the higher the rigidity of the grip area.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with a gripping area 50 within the above-mentioned dimensional range Beams 51 and 52 measured parallel to the minor axis 61 for stretch blow molding of manufactured bottles. The distance between the inches).

In order to provide the desired large stiffness in the gripping area 50, the vertical axis 7 of the bottle and The straight line distance between the circular arc portion 53 or 54 and the main body portion 10 measured in a parallel plane is , at least about 0.3 inches, most preferably at least It has been found to be approximately 1.016 cm (0.4 inch). this distance The greater the number, the higher the rigidity of the grip area 50, but the larger this distance becomes. As time goes on, more materials will be needed. Thus, the particularly preferred ranges mentioned above are: It balances the need for great stiffness with the use of a small amount of plastic. be. When manufacturing the bottle, the distance between the arc portion 53, 54 and the main body 10 is , may vary somewhat around the edge.

The length from the top 58 to the bottom 59 of the gripping area 50 shown in FIG. Ranges from approximately 1.905 cm (0.75 inch) to approximately 3.81 cm (1.5 inch) and most preferably from about 0.9 inches to about 3.0 inches. It is 48 cm (1.2 inches).

Once the particular dimensions of the gripping area 50 have been selected, the length of the bottle can be increased. That is, by increasing the distance from the top 3 to the bottom 2 of the bottle, various It is possible to make lightweight plastic bottles of various sizes with a volume of .

While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, those skilled in the art will be able to understand the spirit of the invention and Without departing from the scope (various changes are obvious, the dimensions listed above) Although this range is a preferred range, it is not a necessary range for practicing the present invention. Above sentence Bottles with dimensions outside the ranges listed may be manufactured, but this is also subject to this publication. It is in the Ming Dynasty. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be considered with reference to the following claims. and is not limited to the details described in the specification and shown in the figures. be understood.

Fig, 1 Fig, 2 Continuation of front page (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, DE.

DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE) , 0A (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, ML, MR, SN, TD.

TG), AU, BB, BG, BR, CA, CZ, FI.

HU, JP, KP, KR, LK, MG, MN, MW, NO, NZ, PL, R○ , RU, SD, SK, UA (72) Inventor Skidmore, John Nidwar 1223 Hope Road, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. For dispensing and dispensing liquid products by tilting along a vertical coaxial line In a flexible, lightweight plastic bottle without a handle, ( a) a closed bottom end, a closure provided with an orifice for dispensing said liquid product; a front end having a chained top end and a flexible body portion connecting the top end and the bottom end to each other; The top end, the bottom end, and the flexible body portion are configured to contain the liquid product. (b) said top end and said bottom of said flexible body portion; a substantially rigid gripping region disposed between the ends of the bottle; having an overall C-shaped cross-section in a direction parallel to the vertical axis of the C-shaped leg; a portion extending away from the interior chamber and coupled to the body portion; The gripping area has an oval cross section measured perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle. and the long axis of the oval cross section of the grasping region is at the end of the oval cross section of the grasping region. The short axis is also aligned parallel to the long dimension, and the short axis is the shortest dimension of the oval cross section of the gripping area. and the substantially rigid gripping region is aligned parallel to the (1) With respect to the body portion, the body portion is recessed toward the inner chamber of the bottle. having two opposed beams parallel to the long axis, (2) the beams are joined to each other by a pair of facing circular arc portions, and An arc connects the beams to form a closed circuit, and the arc also connects the body portion. is recessed toward the internal chamber of the bottle, but the extent of the recess is (3) each of said arcuate portions strengthens said arcuate portion and In order to add stiffness to the gripping area, the anti-reflection It has three-dimensional reinforcement along its periphery up to the point adjacent to the contralateral beam, and The arcuate portion and the three-dimensional reinforcing means strengthen the beam along a line parallel to the short axis. movement of the beams toward the inner chamber and each other of the beams along lines parallel to the long axis. virtually eliminates both lateral movement to the thumb and The beams facing each other can be grasped between the thumb and the opposite index finger, and the liquid can be A bottle that can be poured through the bottle's orifice without losing control. Le. 2. The three-dimensional reinforcing means is configured to strengthen the beam along each circumference of the arcuate portion. Continuous from a point adjacent to one of the beams to a point adjacent to the facing beam. and is uninterrupted, the arcuate portion having substantially no stress concentration points along its circumference. The bottle according to claim 1. 3. The continuous and uninterrupted three-dimensional reinforcing means extends around the arcuate portion. from a point adjacent to one of the beams along each of the opposing beams. 3. The bottle of claim 2, wherein the rib extends to a point adjacent to the rib. 4. The continuous and uninterrupted three-dimensional reinforcing means extends around the arcuate portion. from a point adjacent to one of the beams along each of the opposing beams. consisting of at least two interlocking rows of rhombic shape extending to a point adjacent to the Bottle according to claim 2, characterized in that: 5. The three-dimensional reinforcing means extends one of the beams along the circumference of the arcuate portion. and closely spaced points extending from adjacent points to said opposite beams and adjacent points. 6. A bottle according to claim 5, comprising a series of shaped projections separated by . 6. The maximum diameter of the arc portion measured parallel to the short axis is 5.08 cm or less The bottle according to claim 1 or 2. 7. The height of the beam measured parallel to the vertical axis of the bottle is 2.54 c. Equal to or greater than m and equal to or less than 5.08 cm and the length of the beam, measured parallel to the long axis, is equal to 2.20 cm or greater than and equal to or less than 3.05 cm. The bottle according to claim 1 or 2. 8. From one of the circular arc parts measured parallel to the long axis to the opposite circular arc part The maximum distance is greater than or equal to 6.35cm and 12.70cm 3. A bottle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottle is less than or equal to m. 9. The distance from the arc portion to the main body portion measured parallel to the short axis is: Claim 1 or 2, wherein the length is 1.216 cm or more at any point along the circumference of the circular arc portion. is the bottle described in 2. 10. The length of the gripping area measured parallel to the vertical axis is 1.905 c Equal to or greater than m and equal to or less than 3.81 cm The bottle according to claim 1 or 2.